The 50th New York City Marathon took place on Sunday, with Andreas Almgren of Sweden and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya emerging as the winners of the men's and women's races, respectively. Almgren, making his debut in the event, completed the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 1 second, pulling away from Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in the final mile. This impressive performance marked the third-fastest time in the course's 50-year history.
Almgren's victory was notable as he became the first marathoner to win his debut in the event since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia won in 2010. Crippa finished 13 seconds behind Almgren, while Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third place, edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto. The top seven finishers all recorded times among the top 10 all-time times for the course. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, achieving the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event.
In the women's race, Chepkirui secured her second victory in the event, having previously won in 2024. She pulled away from Hellen Obiri of Kenya in the final 150 meters to seal her win in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain finished second, passing Obiri in the final few strides, and was 6 seconds behind Chepkirui. This marked the first time a U.S. woman finished in the top three since 2018.
The New York City Marathon has a rich history, having begun in 1970 and initially been run entirely within Central Park. The race was moved out of Central Park in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial and to help uplift the city, which was struggling at the time. This year's event saw a minor change in the course, with runners taking a slightly different route at Mile 20 when entering the Bronx.
The course change aimed to reduce the number of turns in the Bronx from seven to five and ease some of the street closures in the area. This modification marked the first change in the course in 15 years. Sunday's event drew a large participation, with about 60,000 runners stepping up to the starting line, nearly half of whom were women. Runners from over 140 countries competed, including defending men's champion Kipruto.
In the wheelchair races, Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's event for the eighth time, edging Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Hug made a decisive move in the final 100 meters to secure his victory. In the women's wheelchair race, Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland pulled away from the field early to win, finishing in 1:40:02, which was the second-fastest time in race history.
The New York City Marathon has grown significantly since its inception, with only about 2,000 competitors in 1976, including just 88 women. The event has become one of the premier marathons in the world, attracting top athletes and a diverse field of runners from around the globe.
Key points
- Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men's New York City Marathon in his debut.
- Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's New York City Marathon for the second time.
- The 50th New York City Marathon drew about 60,000 runners from over 140 countries.
